Education Blog

Several Dallas schools could reopen with special concepts. Check out the ideas thus far.

Jerry Arnold lowered the flags in front of H.S. Thompson Elementary School on Bexar Street in South Dallas on Nov. 01, 2011. The school has since closed.

Dallas ISD is exploring ways to reopen several schools that were closed over the past two years in a costs-saving move.

A proposal is on the table to reopen H.S. Thompson Learning Center in South Dallas, possibly as early as next school year. It’s unclear if it would open as a regular campus or a specialty school to attract more students to the school. This month, trustees are expected to consider using up to $9 million to get the school ready to reopen.

Trustees have been provided with a “concept paper” from district administration on ways to reopen several schools in the next two school years. They also recommend making some changes to a couple of current campuses.

In addition, the district hired Moak, Casey and Associates to analyze possible uses of district facilities. Their report is expected this month. The district also has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to plan for the creation of schools that focus on personalized learning.

Superintendent Mike Miles said last week that administration recommendations for the campuses are not set in stone. He said the intent was to get the conversation started.

Several trustees have said they want the public involved with decisions for the closed schools. Some parents showed up at last week’s school board briefing to voice concerns that they had not been involved in the plans to reopen H.S. Thompson.

Here are the administration’s proposed offerings for the 2014-15 school year:

*Reopen H.S. Thompson in 2014-15. The administration suggested that the school be a Montessori elementary school. The school would serve students residing in the area and those moving to a new housing development.

*Repurpose Mata Elementary School in the 2014-15 school year. It would become a K-8 Montessori Elementary school. It would open for Pre-K and first grade in 2014-15 and would add a grade each subsequent year. The pre-K program would include 3-year-olds.

*Mount Auburn Elementary would grow to a traditional school for kindergarten through fifth grade. This would help accommodate students in grades four and five that currently attend Mata.

*O.M. Roberts Elementary School would serve students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Sixth grade would be added in 2014-15, and one additional grade each of the following two years.

*Preston Hollow Elementary School would become an IB program school. It would include 100 magnet student slots.

Proposed offerings for 2015-16:

*Reopen Pearl C. Anderson Middle School in the 2015-16 school year. The administration has suggested that the school be a military academy for middle-school students.

*Reopen Harllee Elementary School in 2015-16. The administration would like this school to be an early childhood center.

*Reopen Hulcy Middle School in 2015-16. The administration recommends this campus be a “Year 2020 prototype school as designed as part of the Gates Foundation planning grant.”

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